Konsonans Retro
A Podolian Affair (Oriente Musik, 2007)
As in other parts of the world, Ukraine has its families of musicians who entertain participants at weddings and other celebrations. In the region of Podolia, which is near the Moldavian border, there is the village of Zagnitkiv. This is the home of a family of musicians, the Baranovskys, who play a repertory that incorporates the various musical influences in the area, Ukrainian melodies, Moldovan tunes, Klezmer songs, Gypsy folklore and Russian music.
The current generations of the Baranovskys have a band called Konsonans Retro that carries on the family the tradition. Konsonans Retro describes itself as a Ukrainian World Village Band. Their style on their latest CD, A Podolian Affair , is jovial and fast paced, based on the sounds of the accordion, frenzied and prevailing brass, vocals and drums.
The younger Baranovskys now live in the town of Kodyma, which is not far from Zagnitkiv. There, they are able to rehearse with their cousins, who are also members of the group.
This CD is currently only available from Europe. Buy A Podolian Affair.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
